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29 June 2004

Mr Speaker
Honourable Premier
Members of the Executive Council
Honourable members of the Legislature
Officials of the House
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

Many of you would probably have seen an article that appeared in the Sowetan of the 17 of this month wherein one of the student leaders of the 1976 Soweto uprising spoke about police brutality. During this month of June, which is the Youth month, it is important to look back at what the young people of this country has done for us to be a free society.

This was possible because the youth are the objects of social influences and the subjects of historical processes. They assimilate the experience of previous generations, not only as passive receivers, they creatively modify it, enrich and extend the legacy they inherited in accordance with the requirements of their time and the specific features of a given social moment.

A major part of the legacy that the youth of today inherited is the general negative attitude towards the police, the law and the criminal justice system in general.

In his book, "The Law", Frédéric Basfiat says: "if a Nation were founded on the basis of a just and enduring government, it seems to me that order would prevail among the people, in thought and in deed. It seems to me that such a Nation would have the most simple easy to accept, non - oppressive, economically just and enduring government imaginable - what ever its political form might be".

To an ideal passive mankind elsewhere, this could be classical theory that everything came to us from a source outside us. Yet it did not. Put in our own context, the changing of the legacy of the past was brought about by our own young people and not by forces from outside.

Today we can safely say that we are a Nation with a just and an enduring government, which is non-oppressive, and that order is prevailing among our people.

I therefore dedicate this budget speech to the people of Limpopo for their commitment and change of attitude towards the police, the law and the criminal justice system itself, despite the legacy they have inherited.

The change in attitude was demonstrated through their response to our Operations in general and specifically "Operation Pimpa" which when launched, resulted in a massive clamp down on illegal activities in our villages, towns and the Province as a whole. It also brought about a high intolerance to the breaking of the law and the perpetration of "soft" crimes such as housebreaking and theft.

This paradigm shift was brought about by a number of initiatives and joint ventures between my Department, the other Government Departments in Criminal Justice System, the Social Services Cluster and other stake- holders.

In his State of the Nation Address in February this year, the President of this country, President Thabo Mbeki spoke about consolidating the practice of creating public - private partnership and building government - civil society co-operation. It is for this reason that I also want to dedicate this budget speech to the Business Community and the members of the Community Policing Forums in our Province for their unwavering support to our endeavours towards crime prevention. For that I salute them.

1. Analysis of the previous financial year (2003/4)

Honourable Speaker!

An amount of R13, 312, 000 was appropriated by this house in terms of vote 10, for Safety, Security and Liaison. This showed an increase of 3 % from the previous year. Similar to previous financial years, only 39 % of the total budget was allocated to projects and programmes of the Department, which include the Monitoring of the South African Police Service, the core mandate of the Department, Social Crime Prevention initiatives and Research. The remaining 61 % was utilised for personnel and administrative expenditure of the Department.

Last year I reported on progress made with the implementation of recommendations made in the research project commissioned on "The impact of Racism, Tribalism and Ethnicity on service delivery within the South African Police Service." The preliminary report over and above identifying problems of racism, tribalism and ethnicity prevailing in the South African Police Service also revealed the difficult circumstances under which the police are functioning and continue to exert themselves in doing everything possible to ensure a safe and secure environment for all the people of Limpopo and South Africa.

Ngwagola ke begile ka katlego yeo e dirilwego, ka hlagišo ya ditaelo tšeo di dirilwego ka gare a projeke ya dinyakišišo yeo e laetšwego go "Thšušumetšo ya Semorafe sa Bong, sa Setšo le Kgetheloganyo go ya ka Dilete go tšweletšo ya diterelo ka gare ga Maphodisa a naga ya Afrika Borwa. (The impact of Racism, Tribalism, Ethnicity on Service Delivery within the South African Police Service.) Ditukišetšo tsa pego godimo ga go lekola mathata a Semorafe sa Bong, sa Setšo le Kgethologano goya ka Dilete phenyong go Sephodisa sa naga, le go kutullo mabakeng a bothata moo sephodisa se šomago ka gona. Go kgonthišišwa gore ba tšwela pele ka therešo le go ikgafa ka moo ba ka kgonago ka gona, go netefatša mabaka a polokego le tšhireletšo go batho ka moka ba Limpopo le Afrika Borwa ka bo phara.

I have great sympathy for the complexity of their working environment. The police work under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions. I therefore wish to make it clear that by and large this is the underlying cause, which leads to unproductive practices in many instances. The working conditions of the police coupled with their remuneration packages and other related matters are currently receiving attention at National level.

In view of this, my Department is going to spare no effort in making sure that the basic human rights of all police officials, irrespective of race, gender or creed are protected as enshrined in Chapter 2, the Bill of Rights of our Constitution.

The Monitoring Unit of my Department, together with a Task Team comprising of Trade Unions and the South African Police Service are already busy developing an implementation programme based on the recommendations contained in the report on "Racism, Tribalism and Ethnicity in the South African Police Service".

Although the findings are based on a Provincial assessment, they are not unique and therefore the recommendations are also being used by the South African Police Service at National level.

I have also reported at the same time last year, about the research project we have commissioned on the causes and possible solutions to social crimes, particularly those crime referred by the police as less policeable crimes such as domestic violence, rape, murder assault and other related crimes. Recommendations from this research project have been distributed to different stakeholders in the province and all Departments of Safety and Security in the country. The Crime Prevention Unit in my Department has started with the implementation process thereof and buy-in is being sought from the Social Cluster, the Provincial Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster and the Municipalities.

Honourable Speaker!

Whilst I take pride in announcing that Crime in Limpopo has decreased as announced by the Minister of Safety and Security last year, I continue to be deeply disturbed by the continued incidences of the social fabric crimes in our Province, which by its very nature is less policeable.

Whilst my Department is playing a leading role in the implementation of the social crime prevention strategy in an attempt to reduce and prevent these crimes, people out there who when they see this type of crime committed, decide to keep quite!

I am most definitely going to put forward a suggestion to the National Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster that this subject be put on the agenda to investigate ways and means of prosecuting people who keep quiet, as accomplices to the crime.

I wish to emphasise that crime prevention and crime combating must be seen as a shared responsibility by all of us.

Earlier on I alluded to some initiatives taken by the Department to win back the confidence of our people, one such initiative being the "Speak to your MEC" campaign. The decision on the venue for such meetings is guided by invitations received from community members or crime trend reports received from the South African Police Service.

In this program, we work hand in hand with the municipalities, the Justice Cluster, clergy, NGOs, CBOs and Traditional Leaders. All stakeholders contribute from their own field of expertise during the talks to the community. A traditional leader will put forward the expectations in his/her village. A municipal councillor/mayor will explain what the municipality is doing in addressing particular problems. The Justice Cluster will explain the criminal justice processes from arrest to prosecution or discharge. Specific issues such as conditions for bail and arrest, which cause a lot of confusion and sometimes-unwarranted anger in communities and with victims of crime, because of a lack of understanding, are explained.

Although we are managing as a Department to restore our people's confidence in the police and the criminal justice system through this program we are still not satisfied that we are achieving enough to sensitise people towards the prevention of social fabric crimes.

I will never be satisfied until such time that all our people begin to understand that we will never have a police official for every single household and that it is up to every individual to assist the available police officials in the fight against less policeable crimes. "Mapholisa a vha bvumbi"

How can I be satisfied if the majority of the boys and men in our prisons are there because of offences related to rape, assault and child and women abuse?

How can I be satisfied if children are not allowed to be children?

Ndi nga fushea hani musi vhunzhi ha vhanna na vhatukana vhare dzikhothoni vho farelwa u tambuadza vhana na vhafumakadzi. Ndi nga fushea hani arali vhana vha sa tendelwi u vha vhana vha tshi tambudziwa lwa vhudzekani.

How can I be satisfied when women in our country are still afraid to wear whatever they please for fear of being harassed and ultimately raped?

Only three months ago, we will all remember the gruesome murder of three little girls by a man said to be their own father at Medingen near Kgapane. Although we would want to forgive people who do such things, we find it very hard to forget. We will therefore always remember the three little girls of the Mabeba family; Mosebodi aged 6, Morongwa 3 and Matshidiso 1, who died under very painful and mysterious circumstances.

Honourable Speaker!

I want to report to this august house that the three programs I alluded to at the beginning, managed to cover all the districts in our Province.

The Research Unit responsible for the research projects referred to earlier only comprises of two people and Limpopo and the Western Cape are the only two Provinces currently having such a facility in their Departments of Safety and Security.

The Monitoring Unit comprising of only four people, is monitoring the 92 police stations, four Policing Area Offices, the Provincial Head Quarters and plus minus 9500 police officials. This unit was also responsible for the implementation of the Police Station Excellence Award. This year's Awards Ceremony was the second of what is going to be an annual event.

The positive impact that this program is having necessitates the broadening of the scope of participants in future assessments.

As a woman I am proud to say that once again two Police Stations headed by women scooped the most important awards. It goes to prove, as the Court would say beyond any reasonable doubt, the efficiency and effectiveness of women in a profession long dominated by men. To both of them, Captain Maria Gwangwa and Senior Superintendent Rosinah Mulaudzi we say, keep up the good work. "Malibongwe I gama la makhosi. Wa thintha a bafasi, wa thintha I mbokoto wena."

The Police Service Excellence Award is proving to be both a morale booster to the police officials and a source of inspiration to the management. Police Stations are assessed holistically and on a continuous basis and police officials are beginning to realise that their efforts and performance are being noticed.

I want to bring to the attention of this august house that the Limpopo SAPS Provincial Project, of changing old police vans/buses into mobile Community Service Centres won the Impumelelo Platinum Award in March at Cape Town and has now proceed to receive an International Award from the United Nations Head Quarters in New York. The award took place last week on Wednesday the 23rd. The concept of service delivery to the rural areas of our Province is realised in total because in these mobile community service centres, multiple services are rendered.

* Case dockets are opened
* Documents are certified
* Police patrol is visible, etc.

As a result of this initiative, we are in the process of interacting with other Departments such as Health & Welfare and Home Affairs to ensure that other government programs such as Identity Documents, birth certificates, grant applications and immunisations to name but a few, can also be implemented in far flung villages.

When handing over the awards to the police, the then Minister of Education Prof. Kader Asmal remarked by saying "the corps in Limpopo are not corpses, they are alive!" Indeed they are alive!

Last year, to mention just but a few examples of what the corps in Limpopo have done:

* The successful arrests of the Boeremag and the uncovering of their arms caches;
* The discovery and resultant arrest of the perpetrators transporting the biggest abalone containers ever.
However, the recent arrest of the 70 alleged mercenaries in our neighbouring country and the confiscation of a truck carrying illegal cigarette worth R20 000 000, 00 emphasise the severity of our problems if security at our Airport, landing strips and border posts is compromised.

The Crime Prevention Unit also comprises of four people. This is the Unit that is responsible for the implementation of the Crime Prevention Strategy of the Department. They are also responsible for the organisation and management of the "Speak to your MEC" Campaign visiting all corners of our Province. At the same time they ensured that municipalities include local crime prevention strategies in their integrated development plans. We can therefore proudly announce that 90% of the local municipalities in the province have included Crime Prevention programmes in their Integrated Development Plans. One District Municipality has launched a Crime Management Forum and it hoped that this year, the rest will follow suit.

Xiyenge xa lava va lwaka ni vugevenga xi ni swirho swa mune. Lexi hi xona xiyenge lexi xinga na vuti hlamuleri eku humeleriseni maendlelo yo lwa ni vugevenga eka Ndzhawulo ya hina. Hi vona na kambe va nga ni vutivi-hlamuleri eku lunghiseni ni ku rhangela leswi hi swi vulaka "Speak to your MEC" Campaign, Leyi yi famba-fambaka matlhelo hi kwawo ya xifundzha lexi xa hina. Hi karhi wu ri un'we va thlela na kambe va vona leswaku va Masipala va nghenisa maendlelo yo lwa ni vugevenga emakaya eka makungu ya vona yo hluvukisa. Hi nga vula na kambe hi ku tinyungubyisa leswaku makume nkaye (90%) wa ti percentere ta Masipala wa xikaya laha xifundzheni wu nghenisile nongonoko wa makungu ya ku hluvukisa. Yin'we ya ti disitiriki ta Masipala yi humelerisile foramu ya ku tirhana ni vugevenga na kona yi ni tshembho wa leswaku na tin'wana ti disitiriki ta Masipala ti ta endla tani.

The Crime Prevention Unit played a pivotal role in the development of the youth by launching the Manyeleti Youth Academy. The Manyeleti Youth Academy is part of the Department's Empowerment Strategy. As in the words of O.R. Tambo who once said "A country, a movement, a people, that does not value its youth, does not deserve its future", we are making sure that the future of our country remains bright.

The project is embarked upon with a clear understanding of the fact that the youth is the future as also stated by Engels when he said, "We are the party of the future, and the future belongs to the youth. We are a party of innovators, and it is always the youth that most eagerly follows innovators. We are a party that is waging a self-sacrificing struggle against old rottenness, and youth is always the first to undertake a self- sacrificing struggle".

In this regard, it is necessary to emphasise that the young and the rising population of our generation can't be ignored. Their stage is one of assimilating knowledge of all kinds. Avidly searching for a rational understanding of the surrounding world, the youth therefore displays curiosity, rebelliousness, impassioned and uncontrolled enthusiasm, it is crucial in the moulding of stable social being, thus all classes and strata wages relentless battles for the hearts and minds of the youth. As I said before, we can't ignore them.

My Department is going to be the strategic and operational partner of the Academy. The Academy itself will be managed by a Board of Trustees and a Chief Executive Officer. The Trust is co-funded by the Department of Health and Welfare and the Flemish Government.

This joint venture is based on the desire to see young people taking complete control of their lives and becoming positive change agents within their communities. The name Manyeleti, which means, " Place of Stars" should have a meaning to these young people.

Honourable Speaker!

As stated earlier it would be virtually impossible for my Department to implement programmes and projects towards crime prevention given the limited resources we have, if it weren't for the selfless contribution of volunteers. Here I specifically refer to the invaluable work done by the members of the Community Police Forums who in conjunction with the Crime Prevention Unit ensure that the safety and security needs of our communities are brought to our attention.

Honourable Speaker!

Before I turn to the specifics of the 2004/05 budget, let me mention here that the issue of the SANDF Commandos being replaced by the SAPS reservists was not a simple matter to deal with. It involved a lot of emotions from people who were directly involved. As all of us would know, change is pain, it is not easy and it will always be met with some resistance. But to make it short, we want defence to be dealt with first by the soldiers and crime prevention, by the police as per the National Crime Combating Strategy. The phasing out of SANDF Commandos will therefore not be an event but a process. Having been set up for the first time five years after we were colonised in 1658, we currently have 47 000 people as members of the SANDF Commandos. Therefore as to what is going to happen with them, can best be explained by the President's statement when he said "measures will be taken to ensure that structures meant to support the security agencies, such as the SANDF Commandos and police reservists are properly regulated to do what they are set up for"

2. Specifics of 2004/05 budget.

Honourable members will remember that even before we went for the first Democratic elections in our country, we have long promised our people in the Freedom Charter, "there shall be peace and stability in our country". A few months ago, we have just re-iterated this clarion. Consequent to that, we want to achieve further visible advances with regard to the improvement of the quality of life of our people. In this regard, safety and security, is equally crucial.

Honourable Speaker!

For the current financial year, an amount of R14 159, 000 has been appropriated by this house. A very quick calculation will tell you that there has been an increase of about 6.36%. As indicated even last year, the bulk of the money is allocated to personnel and administrative expenditure. This year, we added Communications to our existing three programs as we deem Communication as one of the key programmes through which communities can be reached in our endeavours to get them to participate in crime prevention.

Hi lembe xi mali leri, ntsengo wo ringana R14, 159 00 wu ringayetiwe yindlu leyi. Ku hlanganisa ka xihatla ku ta ku byela leswaku ku vile ni ku tlakuka ko ringana 6.3% xikarhi ka sweswi na budget leyi nga hundza, ku fananisa na lembe ra 2002/03 leyi ayi ri 16.68% tani hi leswi a swi kombisiwile lembe leri hundzheke, vunyingi bya mali a byi averiwe eka Personnel ni le adiministration. Lembe leri, he engetele xiyenge xa vu-vulavuleri aka minongonoko ya hina leyi minharhu yi nga kona, tani hi leswi hi voneke vu-vulavuleri byi ri bya koka leswaku hi kota ku fikelela eka vanhu leswaku va ta kota ku hoxa xandla eku lweni ni vugevenga.

Creation of a safe and secure environment

After the Summits on Police Killings, which were held in all different Policing Areas in our Province, it became evident that every inhabitant of our country should seriously be involved in crime prevention.

To make our Provincial Crime Prevention Strategy a success, we shifted the debate on crime prevention to include a broader spectrum of stakeholders. We started to engage the business community towards Business Against Crime projects. At this point in time I can safely say that SAB, SACOB, FABCOS and Old Mutual have shown keen interest in the venture.

Now with our country having won the 2010 bid, it then becomes imperative that a united front be formed against all those who wish to ruin our reputation of - Peace loving people - A Peaceful place - Limpopo the "Home of Peace"

Zwino musi ro wina bidi ya 2010, ndi zwa ndeme uri rothe ri shumisane kha nndwa ya u lwa na vhathu vhane vha toda u tshinya dzina lashu lavhudi la Limpopo, "hayani ha mulalo".

Crime Prevention

The Crime Prevention Unit as said earlier has the responsibility of leading the social crime prevention process in the province. This entails the consolidation, prioritisation and alignment of related programmes with other relevant stakeholders such as municipalities. To do all this R1, 588, 000, has been allocated.

For this year, this strategic business unit is going to be focusing on the re-engineering process of the CPFs and capacity building for forum members.
Honourable Speaker!

For us to succeed, we must be able to tap on the experiences of other successful programs. Experience all over the world suggests that the best strategies to address crime are those with a multi-faceted approach, which is inclusive of other organisations. Our children and our young people as leaders of the future should be made aware of crime and its consequences. It is extremely important that the youth be given the opportunity to make their inputs and share ideas in solving the problem amongst the youth groupings. In this regard, the Manyeleti Youth Academy is going to play an important role in encouraging and educating them so that in the end, the youth of our Province and South Africa at large will be part of the solution and not the problem.

Monitoring

Let me once again reiterate that this is the core mandate of the department. Monitoring itself is however, a broad term. To be specific, this strategic business unit monitors the effectiveness and the efficiency of the South African Police Service, the implementation of policy and factors blocking service delivery and transformation within the Police Service. An amount of R1 113 000, 00 has been allocated.

Research

Honourable Speaker!

To ensure that we utilise the limited resources that we have effectively, efficiently and economically every program we embark on is well researched.

Whilst communities and organisations are visited on invitation, the Department also initiates campaigns and rallies based on research on crime patterns and trends done by the Department. As such, this strategic business unit informs us as a department on how we should respond to challenges facing us in the execution of our core function. An amount of R1 077 000, 00 has been allocated.

Communication

This is a new unit in the Department. The lack of a fully fledged Communications Unit has thus far been a major stumbling block for the Department, especially in view of the fact that most of our crime prevention initiatives are based on campaigns albeit through the media or community gatherings in the form of rallies or imbizos. An amount of R850 000, 00 has been allocated.

Of significant importance in the communication strategy, is the role that the church can play in moral regeneration. In two Policing Areas, members of the clergy got together and "adopted" police stations. In this way, the spiritual needs of the police officials are taken care of. At the same time inmates are also visited and given spiritual counselling.

As much as the program of "adopt a police station" needs to be seen within the context of moral regeneration, the "adopt a school program" is equally important. Recently, we have been targeting schools that have challenges to be included in this program. In fact the Communications Unit will be rolling out this particular program in earnest this year. The aim is to educate learners on crime prevention so that they can take the message home, become better members of the society and more importantly, better future leaders.

Recently, we have seen how unscrupulous business people would target schools and learners for their market of drugs and illicit products. The "safe schools" program will be targeting these practices by ensuring that learners make informed decision and actions. Key focus areas for this programme will be:

* Vandalism of school property
* Sexual harassment / domestic violence
* Dangerous weapons / substance abuse

The Communication Strategy as in the past will not forget the economic backbone of this Province, the farming community. In the past, we have prepared pamphlets on best practices to improve security around themselves and their neighbours. To further this we will embark on the "I am my brother's keeper" campaign as a motto in the farming communities to look out for one another. As part of this campaign closer co-operation between the farmers and their workers towards ensuring safety for all, cannot be over emphasised.

The same message will also be passed on to the Mahosi/magoshi and Induna who are bordering with the farming communities. Experience over the last few months has shown us that unresolved issues such as access to grazing land and poaching could be a cause for confrontation.

3. An overview of the Criminal justice System

Justice

The "Speak to your MEC" program that we run as a Department of Safety, Security and Liaison, is not only yielding fruit in crime prevention, but also in educating our people to collaborate with the police and the judiciary in execution of their task. Though some of our people still see it as the role of the police to sentence a person to gaol, today we can say that these perceptions are changing. We are managing to change that by ensuring that communities have access to information on the criminal justice system.

Honourable Speaker!

Furthermore last year I reported in this august house on the progress made with regard to the opening of the Sexual Offences Courts. Courts have been opened at Mankweng and Thohoyandou and Lebowakgomo and a further two is being considered for the province. These courts are contributing enormously in fast tracking sexual offence cases, which makes it infinitely user-friendlier to victims of these crimes. The increased rate of prosecution in these cases also serves as a deterrent

The Equality Court was opened at Mokopane late last year. The aim of the court is to ensure that aggrieved individuals who feel that they have been discriminated against based on gender or race can be heard. It is however a specialised court, which deals with such, matters only.

Small Claims Courts are functioning at all Magistrates Courts in the Province. Civil claims up to an amount of R7 000, 00 are being handled by these specialised courts.

Correctional Service

In his address at the launch of the NICRO Offenders Reintegration programme on the 1st of October 2003, the former Minister of Correctional Services, Mr Ben Skosana said; "Prisons remain the depositories of those members of the society whom society has failed in addressing and satisfying their needs and aspirations. As a result we find ourselves with the responsibility to call upon everyone to help us correct what has gone wrong".

Restorative justice is aimed at addressing aspects of personal behaviour and to ensure accountability. To this end, the Correctional Service Act of 1998, Section 18 {1 & 2} states that every prisoner must be allowed access to available reading material of his/her choice, unless if such material is of security risk and not conducive to his or her rehabilitation. In making this kind of provision, government hopes to correct the behaviour that was wrong. We also believe that studying as an activity on its own empowers.

In the past prisons were seen as places of punishment but that has really changed with the new dispensation. Today we call them Correctional Service Centres. However, prisoners who a serving multiple sentences still find themselves unable to study because certain sections of the law do not allow them to do so until they have been sentenced in all their accounts. I want to put it to this august house that this law need to be reviewed. It will be unfair and unjust on prisoners if they will later not be found guilty on the pending cases and yet they have not been allowed to study.

Honourable Speaker!

These are some of the shocking revelations I still come across when I do visit our prisons on occasions like - March "Human Rights Month", August "Women's Month" and during the " 16 Days of Activism on no violence against women and children" campaign annually. Earlier on I mentioned the fact that a large number of men who are found in our prisons are there because of abuse related cases. On the other hand, a large number of women are also there because of self-defence in the process of abuse, which led to the demise of the attacker.

The South African Police Service

In my introductory statements I touched on perceptions surrounding the police. Through different programs, the South African Police Service is gradually transforming and working closer with the people. The Department of Safety, Security and Liaison will continue to monitor the transformation process in the South African Police Service to ensure speedy results the aim being that ultimately in principle, the Police Service will be managed and run like business.

We have agreed with the South African Police Service Management, that in line with the National Crime Combating Strategy, crime in Limpopo has been stabilised and we must now concentrate on the real reduction of crime. It was therefore decided that exit strategies will be developed for all the priority police stations. This implies that a comprehensive socio economic development package will be put together, by all stakeholders to ensure that the root causes of crime and major contributory factors are addressed.

Conclusion

Honourable Speaker and members!

As a Department of Safety, Security and Liaison, we have accepted the challenge of making our Province a safe and secure place for all those who live in it. The budget allocated to us will make us to be able to execute our mandate. We have indicated to you and the rest of South Africa that we are stable Province. We have entered into contact with our people in the fight against crime. We will not fail you. However, a lot more resources will be needed if we are to see the fruition of what we have started.

Honourable Members!

A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step. What we have done so far is indeed another step in that journey. I therefore call upon all of you and your respective constituencies to join us in our journey to fight crime.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Safety, Security and Liaison, Limpopo Provincial Government
29 June 2004